Urban Development

An American Piazza

Developer Bart Blatstein reimagined an old brewery in the outskirts of Philadelphia into an adapted Italian piazza. Locals worried it would be be too theme park-y, but community leaders are pleased with the results.

November 5, 2009 - The New York Times

Great Brownfield Redevelopments

The Canadian Urban Institute presented its yearly 'Brownie' awards last week, honoring the best brownfield redevelopment projects in the nation.

November 4, 2009 - Daily Commercial News and Construction Record

Olympics Lost, But Demolition of Gropius Building Goes Ahead

The Architect's Newspaper reports on the first demolition of a historic building on the Walter Gropius-designed Michael Reese hospital campus in Chicago, the proposed site of now-ditched plans for an Olympic Village.

November 3, 2009 - The Architect's Newspaper

Measuring the Health Impact of Land Use

Officials in Oakland, CA are pioneering a new method of measuring the health impact of development, going beyond EIRs to get a more fully-fleshed assessment.

November 2, 2009 - Sustainable Industries

Naming a Nonexistent Neighborhood

"Greenwich South" is a proposed re-branding of an area near the World Trade Center site, driven by The Alliance for Downtown New York and re-envisioned by ten different architectural firms.

November 2, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

The Detroit Money Shot

Journalists may be overplaying the desolation of Detroit by lustily photographing a few key ruins and cropping well-kept factories out of the picture.

November 2, 2009 - Vice Magazine

The Animated History of Midtown Manhattan

This animation from The New York Times examines the history of Midtown Manhattan -- from pristine island environment to bustling metropolis.

October 31, 2009 - The New York Times

Calthorpe's Daybreak

Daybreak is a massive development planned by Peter Calthorpe being built in Utah on land owned by a mining company. Artist Lucy Raven takes her camera for a visit to see how Daybreak is coming along given the soft housing market.

October 28, 2009 - Triple Canopy

'Science City' Plans Could Boost Light Rail

Plans to build a group of villages near science and biotech office parks in Maryland could help the area secure federal light rail funding.

October 28, 2009 - The Washington Post

Manhattan Apartment Real Estate Deal Going Bust?

A $5.4 billion deal to purchase two massive Manhattan apartment complexes and convert them to high-end rentals appears to be floundering.

October 27, 2009 - Huffington Post

Residential Construction Declines Sharply in New York City

2009 is expected to turn out as a bad year for residential constructoin in New York City. After five consecutive years with more than 30,000 units constructed, at total of 6,300 are expected this year.

October 26, 2009 - The New York Times

Flashy Developer Worries Locals

Edward M. Czuker is known for building bold developments. Residents of Playa del Ray are concerned about what his latest project will look like in their neighborhood.

October 26, 2009 - LA Weekly

Las Vegas: A Model of America's Problems

The problems facing urban America can be exemplified by looking at the city of Las Vegas, according to this piece from the Brookings Institution's Mark Muro.

October 25, 2009 - Citiwire

NFL Cities May Benefit From California Stadium Decision

A recent move that exempted a proposed Southern California football stadium's plans from environmental review may turn out to be precedent-setting for other cities looking to revamp their sports arenas.

October 24, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Environmental Laws Bypassed for California Stadium Project

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill that allows developers of a planned football stadium in Southern California to bypass environmental laws and speed up the planning process.

October 22, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Houstonians Ready for Regulation

A survey shows that 2/3rds of Houston residents are ready for stricter land use regulations. This follows a number of high-profile clashes between neighborhoods and developers who want to build in them.

October 22, 2009 - The Houston Chronicle

Academia and Activism

A profile of Alvaro Huerta, the son of Mexican immigrants who is combining his urban planning studies with social activism.

October 20, 2009 - UCLA Magazine

A Call for More Docks on the Hudson

Cities along the Hudson River in New York are pushing plans to build more docks along the waterfront.

October 20, 2009 - The New York Times

Commercial Crash Maybe Not So Bad

The commercial real estate crash is coming and isn't pretty, but ULI senior fellow Stephen Blank and others say it won't be nearly as bad as the collapse of the residential housing market.

October 19, 2009 - Cleveland Plain Dealer

More Jane Jacobs, Less Marc Jacobs

That's the slogan seen on t-shirts around Jane Jacobs beloved Greenwich Village, where some locals feel high-end chains are ruining the neighborhood.

October 19, 2009 - Jeremiah's Vanishing New York

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.